"I have, and I'm glad they get to achieve happiness in a time like this where everyone seems increasingly on edge." Oh, was that perhaps a bit of an eye-roll in her tone? Well. Hotaru understood the general nerves of impending threat, but the hurry and scurry of frantic hearts was annoying at best to the woman. It was a waste of energy, of time, when they knew each day counted and would likely be peaceful in comparison. Why bother with such wasteful notions and emotions? War and invasion had time and place, and she had found after years of coordinating the fall of empires, that it was better to be prepared and calm, rational and level, than to try and rush headlong into things with fear gripping your logic and dragging it down into the mires of mistakes.
A brow rises at the little history lesson, and Hotaru hums softly, a noise that doesn't get much farther than her throat as she considers what he has told her. "I appreciate the information. Nonetheless I'm sure it's blasphemy to say, but frankly if they have already cursed me just by arriving, then I couldn't care less what they think. We are not the history of others." Frankly ridiculous to curse them all for the actions of one person, but maybe to them it made sense. Maybe it kept them down somehow, more manageable, less threatening. Perhaps there was more to this curse than simply being unfavored.
"As a former ruler, tyranny is no fear of mine," she says calmly, far from being egotistical but wise and frank nonetheless. "And again, I'd not cast you in her shadow. You've been quite cordial to me so far." Whether he continued on that path was yet to be seen, but she would judge him on his own merit. She had lived in the shadow of others for too long in her youth to ever do the same to others. A weird streak of morality in her grey-edged world perhaps, but a sincere one.
"Perhaps I'll come visit you sometime, for more history lessons and some tea." Loren was interesting enough to visit again at least, if he'd bear her company again. Hotaru knows she's not everyone's preferred flavor. "Just to make sure you haven't been spontaneously struck down, of course," and here she smirks a tad, though with his previous reactions she doubts he'll take the bait of humor. Regardless, she dusts off the stubborn snow and readjusts her hair to better block the wind. "I won't keep you too much longer. Though it was a pleasure to meet you officially." Ah, she really needs to get rid of her old archaic speech in this land where she has no title or kingdom, but that's something to consider for next time.
A brow rises at the little history lesson, and Hotaru hums softly, a noise that doesn't get much farther than her throat as she considers what he has told her. "I appreciate the information. Nonetheless I'm sure it's blasphemy to say, but frankly if they have already cursed me just by arriving, then I couldn't care less what they think. We are not the history of others." Frankly ridiculous to curse them all for the actions of one person, but maybe to them it made sense. Maybe it kept them down somehow, more manageable, less threatening. Perhaps there was more to this curse than simply being unfavored.
"As a former ruler, tyranny is no fear of mine," she says calmly, far from being egotistical but wise and frank nonetheless. "And again, I'd not cast you in her shadow. You've been quite cordial to me so far." Whether he continued on that path was yet to be seen, but she would judge him on his own merit. She had lived in the shadow of others for too long in her youth to ever do the same to others. A weird streak of morality in her grey-edged world perhaps, but a sincere one.
"Perhaps I'll come visit you sometime, for more history lessons and some tea." Loren was interesting enough to visit again at least, if he'd bear her company again. Hotaru knows she's not everyone's preferred flavor. "Just to make sure you haven't been spontaneously struck down, of course," and here she smirks a tad, though with his previous reactions she doubts he'll take the bait of humor. Regardless, she dusts off the stubborn snow and readjusts her hair to better block the wind. "I won't keep you too much longer. Though it was a pleasure to meet you officially." Ah, she really needs to get rid of her old archaic speech in this land where she has no title or kingdom, but that's something to consider for next time.
the horror you have seen is not who you are
